UPL: Vipers beat SC Villa to move second

Vipers SC beat SC Villa by a solitary goal to move second in the Azam Uganda Premier League in a game played on Saturday at St. Mary’s stadium in Kitende.

A Tom Masiko free kick in the 13th minute after being broughtdown at the edge of the box separated the two teams in a physical game.

Both teams missed a number of chances but the visitors will havethemselves to blame for being wasteful on the day.

Meanwhile, a few minutes to recess, there was an ugly scene as SC Villaplayers led by goalkeeper Samson Kirya attacked centre referee, Alex Muhabi, after disagreeing with his decision to award Abel Eturudde a penalty.

It was the SC Villa coach Wasswa Bbosa who saved the match officialsfrom the raging players before they cooled down.

However, the SC Villa fans picked the fight from that point breaking thegate and barriers separating the VIP stand from the general section at the stadium.

The fight raged on as the visitors threw bottles at their counterparts.

Not even the intervention of police and UPDF soldiers guarding Buganda premier, Charles Peter Mayiga, could save the situation as the SC Villa supporters protested the decisions by the match officials.

Speaking after the game, Vipers tactician Miguel Da Costa praised hisplayers for bagging all the three points on a difficult day.

“We won despite most of you thinking we could not. We are getting strongerday by day,” Da Costa told a news conference.

He however said a lot needs to be done if his team is to winconvincingly adding that there was a lot of laxity especially in themidfield on a number of occasions.

Asked to comment on the refereeing of the game, the Vipers coach praisedthe referee for the good job done.

SC Villa coach Wasswa Bbosa on the other hand blamed his team’s defeat on the poor decisions by the referee.

He said the referee made a number of decisions against his team, that cost them the game.

“This is what you expect when you come to Kitende. We were 11 menagainst 14 men on the day,” Bbosa said.

He said that a number of penalties were denied to his team as well as free kicks awarded to the hosts that he said were dubious.

“Tom Masiko and Tadeo Lwanga committed over five fouls each but the referee refused to book them,” Bbosa said.

The win on Satuday propelled Vipers from the sixth position to second onthe 16-team log of the Azam Uganda Premier League.